The World Record Club Gondoliers (1962)

Cast
Duke of Plaza-ToroDavid Croft
LuizEdward Darling
Don AlhambraWilliam Dickie
MarcoDuncan Robertson
GiuseppeChristopher Keyte
Duchess of Plaza-ToroNoreen Willett
CasildaUrsula Connors
GianettaElizabeth Harwood
TessaRuth Little

The Linden Singers
Westminster Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Alexander Faris

World Record Club S/2438
World Record Club S/2438
Tring SYM073
Tring SYM073

This recording of substantial highlights was first issued in 1962 or so and has been frequently re-issued over the years. The selections are listed below. Several of the Act II numbers are given out of order. ("Here we are at the risk of our lives" and "Dance a cachucha" should follow "Take a pair of sparkling eyes.")

Mel Moratti observed that the "Opening Chorus" is really "We're called gondolieri," and several of the endings of songs are truncated. Mel added, "Listening to the CD again without knowing who the singers were I made a mental note that the Don Alhambra and the Gianetta and Tessa roles were excellently sung. It was then surprising to see that included in those roles were William Dickie and Elizabeth Harwood. No wonder."

Contents are as follows:

  • Opening Chorus
  • "From the sunny spanish shore"
  • "In enterprise of martial kind"
  • "O Rapture, when alone together"
  • "I stole the Prince"
  • "When a merry maiden marries"
  • Finale, Act I (excerpts)
  • "Here we are at the risk of our lives"
  • "Rising early in the morning"
  • "Take a pair of sparkling eyes"
  • "There lived a King"
  • "In a contemplative fashion"
  • "On the day when I was wedded"
  • "To help unhappy commoners"
  • "I am a courtier"
  • "Dance a cachucha"
Allegro ACS 8134
Allegro ACS 8134
Issue History
DateLabelFormatNumberComments
1962 World Record Club Mono LP T 129  
Stereo LP ST 129
(not verified)
2-track mono 3.5ips reel-to-reel TT 129
1963 Delta Mono LP TQD 3046 Performers given as "The Company of Savoyards," with no credit to conductor or orchestra
Stereo LP SQD 113
1960s VOX Mono LP VBX 251 Three-record set, also including The Mikado and Pirates
Stereo LP SVBX 5251
196-? VOX Mono LP [need number] Performers given as "The Company of Savoyards"
Stereo LP [need number]
1976 DJM Stereo LP DJLMD 8021 Two-record set comprising all three World Record Club recordings
1977 Summit Mono LP SUM 1026  
1970s/80s World Record Club Stereo LP S/2438 Australian issue. Company given as The Linden Singers.
EZ 1023 New Zealand issue. Company given as The Linden Singers.
1985 Allegro/Allegretto Stereo Cassette ACS 8134 Performers given as "The Company of Savoyards"
1990s Tring CD SYM073 Performers given as Alex Faris, the Linden Singers, and the Pro Musica Symphony Orchestra. The CD label, pictured above, wrongly captions it a "DDD" recording.